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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And Another Book Read's Reviews, March 2, 2010
The Fountain family has faced endless grief within the last couple of years and their future seems quite bleak as well. First the children's mother died, after refusing treatment for her fatal cancer so that she could give life to their baby brother Tris. Then, just two years later their father dies in a terrible accident leaving the four Fountain children alone and parentless with only their self-involved Aunt Cheryl left to care for them.
Within weeks the two Fountain daughters, Madison and Smithy flee, one going to live with her godparents and the other going to a boarding school hundreds of miles away. This leaves Jack to be the strong one, the one to take care of Tris, because Cheryl really only cares about herself and home makeover shows on TV.
As Tris' third birthday approaches, Cheryl decides that she is ready for fame and sells the family's soap-opera story to a reality television producer and Jack knows that his life is about to be thrown upside down once again. The thing is though this event brings the family together again. Along the way they find out some troubling information that makes them think....did the witness of their dad's death lie?
I believe if you looked up Caroline B. Cooney up in an encyclopedia you find "... author of heart-thudding thrillers." I could literally not stop reading this book and absolutely gobbled it up. The book as a whole was great, but there were definitely some holes that I wish had been patched up.
First of all, the plot was very original and was the driving force behind the "heart-thudding" feeling you got while reading the book. I loved how the author took a mystery and turned it into a novel about family, friendship, trust, loss, and love. These themes melded perfectly throughout the book and really made the reader take a step back and evaluate their own life in a different light. I did have a couple issues with the plot though. Some of the events, such as Cheryl gaining custody automatically over the children and there being no original investigation into the father's death, were completely left out. This left a big gap for me as I felt it could have been a crucial part in the story. The storyline was also a bit predictable, but the suspense created by the little details really helped the reader to not focus on what was coming next.
As for characters, this is really where the book lacked. All of the characters were one-dimensional; especially the adults, and I wish they were so much more. The little we did get to learn about the characters though was great. Jack was definitely the hero in the book and by far a favorite, as he sacrificed his social life in order to step up to the plate and care for his younger brother.
Another plus for this book is the author's writing style. She made the book incredibly realistic and all throughout the story I felt like I was reading an article from the local newspaper instead of a piece of fiction. Also the point of view she wrote the book in was quite interesting. It felt like a mix between third and first person, but all in the present tense, much like in Lisa McMann's novels. This quirky style took a while to get used to but in the end it definitely added to the book.
Overall this was a good novel that all teen readers will enjoy. It had enough action to satisfy anyone and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved how the author dealt with the breaking and healing of a family and really showed what love is and its immense powers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another hit for Cooney, May 24, 2009
have been a Caroline B. Cooney fan since I read The Face on the Milk Carton back in elementary school. Cooney's books are almost always edge-of-your-seat thrillers that are impossible to put down. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out on May 12th, I immediately put it on my wishlist. Her books are always big hits in my classroom and I knew If the Witness Lied would be just as popular.
If the Witness Lied is a thriller through and through! I started the book on Friday afternoon and didn't put it down until I finished it on Friday night. What a thrilling read! At times, I felt like I was reading a newspaper article because it felt so realistic. Certain touches, like the introduction of a sleazy reality show producer, make this book stand out.
Jack Fountain is the strong one. The one who stayed. After it happened, his sisters both fled their home- one to boarding school in Massachusetts and one to her godparent's house up the turnpike. Jack stayed with their baby brother, Tris, and "aunt" Cheryl. Jack doesn't blame his sisters- the media attention was hard enough, but having to live with Tris and act like nothing happened sometimes feel impossible. Tris,their baby brother, killed both his mother and father. He killed his mother by being born, and his father by hitting the parking brake in the car a year later. Of course, the media jumped all over the story and the Fountains were forced to forge new identities for themselves. Jack changed from the popular jock in school to the steady big brother, the babysitter and brother who can be counted on. Smithy and Madison ran from the pain.
Now "aunt" Cheryl, who's living with Jack and Tris now that their parents are gone, has decided that the family will heal only if they work through their pain- as the stars of a reality show. In less than 24 hours all four Fountain children are brought together again and forced to face the reality of what happened to them. And when they discover that maybe Tris isn't to blame for their father's death, they do everything they can to clear their baby brother's name.
If you enjoyed Cooney's other true-crime books, like the Milk Carton series, you will love If the Witness Lied. A fantastic read, this is a quick-paced thrilled that mystery and thrill-seekers alike won't be able to put down!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic suspenseful Cooney, December 13, 2009
The Fountain family has been the focus of major media attention three times: when mother Laura Fountain made a decision that changed her family's life, when she died, and when her husband died. Now the four remaining Fountain children live scattered, fifteen-year-old Jack living and two-year-old Tris with their aunt Cheryl, and Smithy and Madison living at boarding school and with godparents. Jack has reformatted his life so his only job is to protect Tris, but when attention-seeking Cheryl invites the media back into their lives once more, it becomes impossible. Now the three older siblings will have to face their pain and grief and come together to not only protect Tris, but discover the truth.
Caroline B. Cooney's latest suspense novel has contains her trademark fast-paced, blunt style that makes her books so easy to absorbed in. Her third person, present tense narrative allows Cooney to character hop, which always keeps things interesting. Though the mystery is a bit simplistic, its tight time line is wrought with tension and never lags, making If the Witness Lied an excellent novel for reluctant readers.
The characters in the novel are also well done; Cheryl is truly intimidating, and her power makes her a character you love to hate. Though the Fountain parents are deceased, Cooney has a talent for weaving in small and surprising details that make them seem three-dimensional and real, also making their children's loss more meaningful. The older siblings are also very interesting as Cooney explores their memories and how their loss affects them all in different ways. Despite their pain and issues, you can't help but admire the way Madison, Jack, and Smithy come together to protect Tris.
The conclusion comes together rather quickly and easily, but it is a very satisfying one. Cooney's latest book is inventive and excellent, with a mystery that is unconventional and fascinating.
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